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A magistrate made the ruling after Castro's accuser testified during a preliminary hearing. The 28-year-old woman said she met Castro at the hotel's bar after a game between the Marlins and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

She said she went to his room with another couple in the early morning hours of Aug. 28, and that Castro asked the other couple to leave, then attacked her.

Castro's attorney, J. Alan Johnson, said his client is innocent and that hotel surveillance tapes will eventually prove that. Castro was allowed to remain free until trial, which wasn't immediately scheduled.

Castro, a 27-year-old married father of two, was arrested after the woman went to police with her story. He was charged with rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault, sexual assault and unlawful restraint.

The rape charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 to 40 years in prison, though under state sentencing guidelines it's unlikely Castro would receive such a sentence if he were convicted.

Johnson said he has hired investigators to review the case and said the "time element" of the woman's accusations was crucial.

A third-string catcher used mostly as a pinch hitter, Castro hit .283 with 5 home runs and 8 RBI in just 53 at-bats last season. He didn't play during the World Series, which the Marlins won after beating the New York Yankees.

Originally posted by Stick Michael I'm not going to speculate what may have happened because I have no idea but if she's going into his hotel room what was she expecting? That's a red flag right there.

James

James -- I was shocked to read your post...do you really feel that way?

Originally posted by Stick Michael I'm not going to speculate what may have happened because I have no idea but if she's going into his hotel room what was she expecting? That's a red flag right there.

She might have been leaving the door open for sex, but somehow i don't think she was expecting to be tied down and sodomized.

"If your hand touches metal, I swear by my pretty floral bonnet, I will end you."

Originally posted by Stick Michael I'm not going to speculate what may have happened because I have no idea but if she's going into his hotel room what was she expecting? That's a red flag right there.

She apparently went to his room with another couple at first so perhaps she wasn't expecting anything other than to hang out with Castro and the others. Even if she did entertain thoughts of having sex with him, she has the right to change her mind or not be comfortable with some of what he wanted to do.

Originally posted by b-ball-lunachick James -- I was shocked to read your post...do you really feel that way?

First off, I missed the part about her going up to his room with another couple - that changes things a bit. If she goes up there by herself it's a different story, at least to a certain degree. Deborah's absoluely right when she stated that she has the right to back out of any situation she's not comfortbale with. All I meant to say is:[list=1][*]if she was in the room with him alone common sense would dictate what to expect (again, I emphasize she still had the right to back out at any time regardless).
[*]Motive always comes into question in cases like these. Some people see a ballplayer and want an autograph...and some people unfortunately see an opportunity to blackmail a wealthy figure in the public's eye. I'm not saying this is case here, but if she expects to have any credibility with a jury she better not have anything in her past to hide.[/list=1]
James

If he is innocent and she is falsely accusing him she belongs in prison for the same time.

Rape is a despicable crime, fake rape allegations are just as despicable. Right now I have no way of knowing who is guilty and who is innocent. I hope that the truth can be discovered and that any guilty parties can face justice.

Re: rarely

Originally posted by Exasperator Unfortunately justice doesn't always occur...... especially in our society when money can buy the best lawyers to defend the guilty.

That may be true, but I'd much rather live in a society where a guilty man walks free than in another where an innocent man goes to jail. Unfortunately, both occur here at times. With that being said, it's still the best justice system in the world that I know of.

I'm wondering what's on the hotel surveillance tapes that will prove
Castro is innocent? Maybe the victim's timeline doesn't match
the tape. Anyway, I'm living in the dark ages when it comes to
this kind of stuff. I have a problem with anyone who is married fooling
around. IMO even if Kobe Bryant is innocent of rape, he's still
guilty of adultery. I also have a problem with women who knowingly
get themselves into a situation with a celebrity from which they
could gain financially. It just makes it all the more difficult for
a woman who really has been sexually assulted to prove her
case. I feel sorry for Castro's wife and children.